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I hope you all kept warm during the recent polar vortex! This month, we have another wonderful talk from a University of Michigan graduate student lined up – I hope you’ll be able to join us.

February Meeting – Thursday, Feb. 21st – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be University of Michigan graduate student, Martin Menz.

Title:The 2018 UMMAA Field School at Gordon Hall, Dexter, Michigan

Description From Speaker:During the Fall of 2018, UMMAA faculty and undergraduate students conducted survey and excavations at Gordon Hall, the residence of Judge Samuel W. Dexter, located in Dexter, Michigan. The goals of this project were to identify the remains of architectural features and outbuildings demolished during the house’s multiple renovations. Both the northern wing of the house and the large, 8-seat privy were located during excavations. In this presentation, I will discuss the process of data recovery, results, and future directions for UMMAA fieldwork at Gordon Hall.

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

Other Upcoming MAS Meetings/Speakers

l March 21, 2018 – Dr. Michael Galaty of University of Michigan

Announcements:

) With the new year here, it’s also time to pay our yearly dues. Visit this page on the MAS State website to do so – it can be done online and is much easier than our old forms.

) Chapter elections will be taking place at our March meeting.We are looking for a new treasurer and Vice President. If you are interested in a position with the chapter, please email me atmatugaines@gmail.com or talk to me at one of our meetings.

3.) Be sure to check out the new Michigan Archaeological Society website at micharch.org/wp for news and events at the state-wide level.

____________________________________________________

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at matugaines@gmail.com! I hope to see you all soon!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a pleasant time over the holidays this year. It’s the new year, so I encourage chapter members to hop on over to the MAS website and renew their membership! I hope to see you all at our January meeting.

January Meeting – Thursday, Jan. 17th – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be University of Michigan graduate student, Kimberly Swisher.

Title:Looking at the Late Woodland and Early Mississippian in the Lower Chattahoochee River Valley: The Averett Culture

Description From Speaker:In this talk, I will discuss some of the current work I have been doing with material from the type site for the Averett Culture, the Averett Site. The Averett Culture was a local population with a primarily and hunting and gathering economy that lived in the Lower Chattahoochee River Valley in southwest Georgia from roughly AD 900 – AD 1300. After AD 1300, this culture does not continue as it had existed with previous Mississippian immigrant populations continuing to occupy and intensify habitations in the region. In my talk, I will also discuss my future plans and work for my dissertation research going forward, which focuses on the social and cultural practices of these small-scale local populations and how they acted, re-acted, and interacted with these Mississippian immigrants, including how these local populations were affected socially and culturally.

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

Other Upcoming MAS Meetings/Speakers

l February 21, 2018 – Martin Menz, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

l March 21, 2018 – Dr. Michael Galaty of University of Michigan

Announcements:

1.) MAS recently approved a proposal for an MAS Awards Program. See the attached file for a list of awards, rules, and how to nominate a fellow member.

2. ) Chapter elections will be taking place at our March meeting. If you are interested in a position with the chapter, please email me atmatugaines@gmail.comor talk to me at one of our meetings.

3.) Be sure to check out the new Michigan Archaeological Society website at micharch.org/wp for news and events at the state-wide level.

____________________________________________________

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at matugaines@gmail.com! I hope to see you all soon!

This month’s meeting will be our final meeting of 2018, as we will again take the month of December off. Our next chapter meeting will be on January 17, 2019. I wish you all a happy holiday season!

November Meeting – Thursday, Nov. 15th – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be Dr. Raven Garvey of The University of Michigan, presenting a talk titled:

Projectile Points From the US Southwest: Who Learns From Whom, and Why Does It Matter?

Archaeological evidence suggests conflict among groups living in southeastern New Mexico ca. AD 1300, perhaps as a result of competition over dwindling bison populations. Projectile points from sites in the region are highly standardized during this time, which might reflect a heightened sense of group membership—”we are US, they are THEM”—in the face of social tensions. In this paper, I’ll explore this hypothesis and some alternatives, and also, more generally, how who we learn skills from might affect technological change through time

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

Other Upcoming MAS Meetings/Speakers

January 17, 2019 – Kimberly Swisher, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

February 21, 2019 – Martin Menz, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

March 21, 2019 – Dr. Michael Galaty of University of Michigan

Announcements:

1.) Be sure to check out the new Michigan Archaeological Society website at micharch.org/wp for news and events at the state-wide level.

____________________________________________________

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at matugaines@gmail.com! I hope to see you all soon!

Autumn is upon us, and with it both cooler temperatures and the first HVC meeting of the season.

October Meeting – Thursday, Oct. 18th – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be Dr. Bradley Ensor of Eastern Michigan University, presenting 15 Years of the EMU Archaeology Field School and Student Research. He will also be joined by Julia Joblinsky, a current student of his, who will present a synopsis of her research.

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

Other Upcoming MAS Meetings/Speakers

l November 15, 2018 – Dr. Raven Garvey of University of Michigan

l January 17, 2018 – Kimberly Swisher, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

l February 21, 2018 – Martin Menz, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

l March 21, 2018 – Dr. Michael Galaty of University of Michigan

Announcements:

1.) Check out the Gordon Hall Archaeology Day being hosted by the Dexter Area Historical Society and the University of Michigan. Looks to be a good way to learn about some local archaeology! More info here.

2.) Be sure to check out the new Michigan Archaeological Society website at micharch.org/wp if you haven’t already done so (or even if you have, as new content has been posted pretty regularly there).

____________________________________________________

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at matugaines@gmail.com! I hope to see you all soon!

I hope you’ve all had a good summer! First of all, I’m sorry to inform you that we will not be having a September meeting – I had a speaker lined up, but our plans fell through too late for me to set anything else up. I have speakers set for our upcoming meetings, including our October meeting.

October Meeting – Thursday, Oct. 18th – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be Dr. Bradley Ensor of Eastern Michigan University. He will be updating us on the recent developments of the Eastern Michigan Archaeological Field School.

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

Other Upcoming MAS Meetings/Speakers

l November 15, 2018 – Dr. Raven Garvey of University of Michigan

l January 17, 2018 – Kimberly Swisher, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

l February 21, 2018 – Martin Menz, Graduate Student at University of Michigan

l March 21, 2018 – Dr. Michael Galaty of University of Michigan

Announcements:

1.) Michigan Archaeology Day is October 13 from 10:00am-4:00pm at the Michigan History Museum in Lansing! You’ll be able to meet archaeologists (including many MAS members) from around the state, learn about their research, and see one-day-only exhibitions at the museum. It is family-friendly as well, so all ages are welcome and will find activities to interest them! I encourage members to make the drive up to the state capital for the day.

2.) The Michigan Archaeological Society will be hosting a field workshop on October 20, sponsored in part by the memorial fund established in honor of long-time member Dency Terrill. This is a good opportunity to participate in archaeological excavations alongside fellow MAS members! See the attached flier for more information.

3.) Be sure to check out the new Michigan Archaeological Society website at micharch.org/wp if you haven’t already done so (or even if you have, as new content has been posted pretty regularly there).

____________________________________________________

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at matugaines@gmail.com! I hope to see you all soon!

I’d first like to apologize again for the short-notice cancellation of our April meeting. I am very glad to tell you that Dan Harrison will be giving his presentation which was previously scheduled for that meeting at our May meeting. I hope you will all be able to attend and hear what is sure to be an interesting and engaging talk.

This will be our final meeting before we break for the summer – our next chapter meeting will be in September.

Also, I remind you all that the position of chapter secretary is currently vacant – if anybody is interested in taking up the position, please let me know. More details about this, the month’s speaker, and the state meeting below.

May Meeting – Thursday, May 17th – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be chapter member and past speaker Daniel Harrison. His talk will be entitled:

Frontier Arms Race: The Story of the Cannons from the Detroit River

On October 5, 2011, an iron cannon barrel, corroded and covered with zebra mussels, broke the surface of the Detroit River for the first time in many years – but how many? Since 1984, six similar guns have been recovered from the same area. How and why did they come to be there?

Maritime archaeologist Dan Harrison traces the paths that led these cannons to their watery fate. It is a tale of the materialization of the Great Lakes, as French, Native Americans, British, and Americans competed for control of economic resources and strategic waterways during the turbulent 18th century.

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

Announcements:

1.) The position of chapter secretary is currently vacant – if any chapter members are interested in becoming the secretary, please get in touch with me at matugaines@gmail.com – I can give you an idea what sort of work is involved.

2.) The Michigan Archaeological Society state meeting took place last month – David Cusack was elected as the new president of the Society. Former president, Dan Wymer, has taken up the position of Second Vice President.

3.) Be sure to check out the new Michigan Archaeological Society website at micharch.org/wp if you haven’t already done so (or even if you have, as new content has been posted pretty regularly there).

____________________________________________________

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at matugaines@gmail.com! I hope to see you all soon!

I hope you’re all having a good start to your spring. We only have a couple meetings left before we break for the summer. The state meeting of the Michigan Archaeological Society is also coming up later this month in Saginaw.

Also, I remind you all that the position of chapter secretary is currently vacant – if anybody is interested in taking up the position, please let me know. More details about this, the month’s speaker, and the state meeting below.

April Meeting – Thursday, April 19th – 7:30pm

The speaker at this meeting will be chapter member and past speaker Daniel Harrison. His talk will be entitled:

Frontier Arms Race: The Story of the Cannons from the Detroit River

On October 5, 2011, an iron cannon barrel, corroded and covered with zebra mussels, broke the surface of the Detroit River for the first time in many years – but how many? Since 1984, six similar guns have been recovered from the same area. How and why did they come to be there?

Maritime archaeologist Dan Harrison traces the paths that led these cannons to their watery fate. It is a tale of the materialization of the Great Lakes, as French, Native Americans, British, and Americans competed for control of economic resources and strategic waterways during the turbulent 18th century.

Dinner – 6pm – Please RSVP

If you would like to join the speaker, chapter officers and HVC members for dinner beforehand, please RSVP with myself at your earliest convenience. As per usual, our dinner will be at The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant, 512 E William St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Reservations are for 6pm, under the name: Marshall Gaines. We hope to see you there!

The state meeting will be taking place in The Morley Room of the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History (500 Federal Ave, Saginaw, MI). I encourage chapter members to make the trip up there for a day of interesting and exciting archaeology. There will be artifacts on display and a number of lectures.

Sign-in begins at 9:30am. A business meeting will take place from 10:00am-12:00pm, followed by an hour-long lunch break. Presentations will begin at 1:00pm and should be over by 4:30pm.

Presentations Planned

Dr. Scott G. Beld

The Arthurburg Hill Earthwork Enclosure: An Early Woodland Fortified Village in central Michigan.

The Arthurburg Hill Earthwork Enclosure is an Early Woodland village (ca. 400 B.C.) surrounded by a ditch and embankment located in Ionia County. A relatively dense occupation with lithic and ceramic artifacts was identified at the site. This talk will describe the site, dating, the artifacts recovered and relationships within Michigan and surrounding areas.

Don Simons

Excavations during the late 20th Century at the Gainey, Butler, Leavitt, Gray and Barnes sites added much to the record of the colonizing era of Lower Michigan. However, with the exception of the Holcombe and Samels Field research, the transitional era into the early and middle Archaic is very poorly understood. Simons will share a portion of his research findings based on diagnostic artifacts and their contextual data to provide a glimpse of the early cultures of the Lower Great Lakes Region.

Glenwood L. Boatman

30 years of Contributions of the Sandusky Bay ASO to the Archaeology of North Central Ohio.

Over more than 30 years the Sandusky Bay members have not only been artifact collectors but many have worked with and been trained by professional archaeologists and physical anthropologists. This program presents the highlights of archaeological activity of the Sandusky Bay chapter’s work over 30 years. Most of the work was done with Dr. David Stothers but since 2009 the chapter has carried out professional archaeology on its own, sometimes consulting professionals. Members of the chapter have been responsible for funding more than a majority of radiocarbon dates run in North Central Ohio since 2000. In addition members have provided a new research model for ceramics at Huron River sites from 300 B.C. to 700 A.D. Members have written up reports and articles on the Taylor, Kendera, Dillon, and Metz sites, we have dug and reported on the Heckelman Linear Ditches and Exploratory Trenches, and have updated the dating of the Seaman’s Fort Earthworks. Members have also provided 20, 1 hour long programs on their work and have presented at professional archaeological conferences. We were responsible for getting Dr. Michael Gramly to take another look at the Cedar Creek Mastodon site near Mansfield, Ohio which resulted in it now being declared a butcher site.

Announcements:

1.) Chapter elections took place at last month’s meetings. I am continuing to serve as chapter president, Cherokee Gonzalez is continuing as vice president, and Eric Ebel is continuing as treasurer. The position of chapter secretary is currently vacant – if any chapter members are interested in becoming the secretary, please get in touch with me at matugaines@gmail.com – I can give you an idea what sort of work is involved.

2.) If you have not paid your dues for 2018 yet, now is a good time to do so. Membership info can be found at: http://miarch.org/join.html

3.) The Michigan Archaeologist, the annual journal published by the MAS, should be caught up by the end of the year or shortly into 2019. Those who paid dues for previous years should receive the issues associated with those years.